“Sing It Again, Sam!”  The inimitable song stylings of Sam Sacks  Arliss Records  For those unfamiliar with the wonder of WFMU’s Beware of the Blog let this be a welcome introduction.  Go to BOTB and listen to Sam’s fantastically awful mauling of standards.  A private recording on par with the best of the worst from Mrs. Miller, Lucia Pamela and Florence Foster Jenkins.  I gotta find a copy!

(25 votes, average: 3.92 out of 5)

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“Today’s Top Hits” by the HOMESTEAD (?) on Homestead Records (of course) 1979  Featuring bad recreations of chart toppers of the day, like Randy Newman’s “Short People,” one of the greatest politically incorrect songs of all time.

(28 votes, average: 3.68 out of 5)

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“Deanie”  Heaven’s Hall of Fame!!

(24 votes, average: 4.13 out of 5)

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“Heaven’s Satellite”  with The Good News Singers from Bakersfield, California.  Vision Records  This one is highly sought after and rarely found.

(31 votes, average: 4.13 out of 5)

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“Music To Dream By”  Valentino and His Orchestra   GMS Records   An exceptional example of a 1950’s cheesecake cover on a record of quite unexceptional music.  Looks quite common but it’s really very rare.

(30 votes, average: 4.17 out of 5)

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Etta James “At Last!”  Argo Lp 4003 (1961)  Designed by Don Bronstein.   What an album.  What a song.   What a performer.  What a cover.  For every Hall of Fame.

(14 votes, average: 4.14 out of 5)

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Here’s my copy of Esquerita! (1959)  Capitol Records  Esquerita was an obvious influence on Little Richard.  Like Richard, a flaming, shrieking, piano-pounding rock and roll originator.  Amazing that he was on Capitol records with label mates like Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Peggy Lee.  I put this one in a nice wood frame I found in a Berkeley record shop.

Tracks include:  Hey Miss Lucy / She Left Me Crying / Hole In My Heart / Believe Me When I Say Rock ‘n’ Roll / I Need You / Why Did It Take You So Long / Get Back Baby / I’m Batty over Hattie / Gettin’ Plenty of Lovin’

(32 votes, average: 4.25 out of 5)

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Here’s a rare one for sure.  This is Jayne Mansfield in fine form on the cover of a British compilation called “5 Star Party”  featuring cuts by Cliff Richard and the Shadows, Eddie Calvert, Russ Corway, The Dave Clark Five and Victor Silvester.  Columbia EMI Records.

(34 votes, average: 4.26 out of 5)

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Kool and the Gang “Live at the Sex Machine  Blue Elephant Records

(82 votes, average: 4.27 out of 5)

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“Jalaito Sabroson”  Los Ases del Ritmo  Tropical Records

(29 votes, average: 3.59 out of 5)

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